Like A Blond
by Alyson Grant
Summary: Who are you dating? What are you doing? How do you feel? Everyone wants to know like your word came from the lips of God but you're just a teenage girl. You can't be everything to everyone.
1. Chapter 1

**  
Like A Blond**

By

**Alyson Grant  
**

"So, you've been to jail, experienced a public breakup and won a contest that changed your life forever. Do you feel any different these days or do you still feel like the same Jude Harrison who won Instant Star a year ago?"

"Wow!" She ran a few fingers through her hair. "You get right to it. Well…yeah I'm Jude Harrison. For better or worse I'm stuck with myself."

The crowd laughed.

"I still feel like the same girl I was but in some ways I'm sure I _have_ changed. If the past few months of my life were a book this chapter could simply be called **Change** because that's all it was non stop."

"I could barely catch my breath before the next thing started happening."

One camera zoomed on the contrast of Jude's red chipped fingernail against the surface of her silver star ring as she lightly touched the symbol with her thumb.

Whether she was nervous or just contemplative the camera couldn't tell but the unconscious movement was captured and transmitted live to the viewers watching.

"So much has changed for me but at the same time it's weird how things haven't. I still suck at math, still have personal issues, still have best friends who care about me and am still for better or worse signed to G Major."

"Big changes this year."

She nodded. "That's right. Absoluely. Came back from tour and it was like I'd just stepped on a completely different planet."

"There were rumors that you were going to be dropped from G Major. Any comment on that?"

"None."

"Now back in September you were famously cut off stage by Darius at his annual Red and Black party. Any…comment there?"

She gave him a direct look. "We had a difference in opinion."

"All right then."

She gave him a bland look.

"Has it been hard working with Shay?"

"I don't work with Shay."

"Sorry." He glanced discreetly at note card. "Isn't he finishing his third album at G Major with producer Tom Quincy?"

"That's right," Jude agreed pleasantly with a point. "With producer _Tom Quincy_ not me."

"Guess he won't be invited to the seventeenth huh?"

Jude patiently smiled and said nothing.

The VJ coughed, "Uh since you won Instant Star sources have been saying you and Mr. Q. are an item. Any truth to that?"

"Not even remotely. He is however dating Sadie Harrison my older sister."

"How did your family react to your jail time?"

Jude frowned, "They were ecstatic. Look, you and every other third rate tabloid people try to shove in my face are all making this into a much bigger deal of this then it was. I made a mistake. I was intoxicated-"

"And underage."

"Yes. I'm not nineteen yet obviously and I'm not trying to downplay anything at all but I was drunk just like millions of teens are daily but I got called on it because I was stupid enough to do something I shouldn't have been doing and have to hear about it in the press continually because people feed on my downfalls."

"The Saga of Jude is not that interesting people," She said vehemently. "I was stupid. I admit it. End of story."

She glanced at the camera and added, "Oh and my jail time was a few hours. Please don't have a James Frey type of lie attached to my life."

He blinked at her intensity and found himself taking a step back.

Jude smiled and continued, "So let's flip this and turn the tables shall we? Over the summer you had a segment running about my parent's decision to divorce. By you I don't mean you personally Bryan I mean this station."

"A full half hour special," she said pleasantly. "Even my parents wouldn't call themselves that interesting enough to be on _Music Squared_. I caught that when I came home and it was all about the perils of divorce and how it would affect me and who gave you that baby picture? One question comes to mind about the whole media coverage in general: _Why _"

"You don't think that maybe, just _maybe_ my family would have liked a private moment to deal with everything by ourselves? And it's not just you. It's every tabloid and newspaper who snapped pictures of my family and I during that time or unearthed old ones. Or wrote about the topic at all. It's not that interesting. Truly."

"Divorce is not a story or at least it shouldn't be. Hell, _I_ am not a story. I'm a person just like you, just like _everyone_ else and my family didn't deserve the great big media play by play. I didn't appreciate that."

The ambushed VJay looked visibly relieved when the signal came to wrap it up for commercial break. Jude had only been speaking without interruption for less then two minutes but this _wasn't_ on the cue cards, _was_ unexpected and felt a _whole_ lot longer.

He hid all that for the camera and smiled brightly.

"Uh well we're going to go to a commercial break. Gotta pay those bills! But when we return we'll have the world premiere of Jude Harrison's new music video _As a Blond _as well as a performance of _Another Thin Line _to celebrate today's one hundredth play and retirement from the countdown.

Jude smiled, pointed to the camera and mouthed as she gestured to the man beside her, 'He Can't Handle The Heat' and playfully stuck out her tongue to the camera on her left as it zoomed, moved back and rolled to commercial break.

The minute the cameras were off the VJay had a less enthusiastic smile on his face. "Uh Jude?"

"Yes?"

"You kind of ambushed me there."

"I was _kind_ of expressing how I felt."

"Well yeah but…"

"And I wouldn't call what I just did an ambush. Sorry if you took it that way but you know what? I seem to remember you in that special too. You and the rest of the world seemed to have a few thoughts and opinions so here's mine."

She stepped closer, "Sorry if you can't handle a little reality."

* * *

AG - Author's Note

_Like A Blond_? This wasn't the story I was going to put up next!

Anyway this is an idea I've been toying with for a while.

I wrote this part yesterday. Hope you liked it.

Speak your mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Like A Blond**

by

**Alyson Grant**

"Wow that was a wee bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Not even remotely."

"Aw Jude you almost made the poor man cry."

"Well, he was getting on my nerves! '_Now back in September you were famously cut off on stage by Darius at his annual red and black party. Any…comment there,' _" she mocked. "Please! He was _there_!"

"He was asking for the fans," he said reasonably.

"Arragh!" she threw up her hands, laid down her head, and let out a little scream. "It happened months ago so what does it even matter now? And it was a stupid Crimson party. He couldn't even get the name right. Stupid man. Everybody is just so _stupid_."

Jamie smiled but asked seriously, "What's with you today?"

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"One word answers all I'm gonna get?"

She lifted her head catching sight of herself in the mirror and turned around to face him. She grinned. "_Maybe_," she teased.

They waited in the wings and watched as the commercial break chaos continued.

The stage hands set up for the performance and the coordinator barked out orders with an EJ-esque efficiency that made Jude miss the ebony haired woman. She tried to shake off her sudden sadness and nestled closer in Jamie's arms as she leaned against him with her back against his chest and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

She focused on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat but the sound of all the voices in their vicinity intruded.

He tightened his hold around her waist and whispered, "Do you want to me to get you some water or something?"

She shook her head and then said, "No thanks." She glanced over at the guard that stood nearby and rolled her eyes. "I just kind of want to get this over with, go home, and sleep for days."

"Okay people when Jude comes out we want energy. Movement people. You're not Madonna but don't be a stone statue either and if you really can't dance don't try to fake it. This is live people. Don't embarrass yourselves. This re-runs at seven tomorrow. That's A.M not P.M."

She continued, "Do _not_ try to grab her. Do_ not_ try to touch her. Do_ not_ ask for an autograph." She pushed back her retro cat eye glasses that she was wearing strictly for that days fashion statement and said, "That will come after the show is finished. Possibly. If there's time," she quickly amended.

Jamie and Jude looked at each other and laughed as they stood and watched the scene unfold.

She walked back and forth with a clipboard in hand, "I said this before the show started but let me say it once more for those of you with foggy memories. Anyone tries to go _on_ stage without her permission _will_ be escorted off the premises. That is_ not_ an idle threat people. _Don't _test me."

"Wow," Jude whispered in hushed tone. "She almost makes me feel important."

"You are."

"You're corny," she said with affection.

The woman's long auburn pony-tail with strategically placed blond highlights swung as she spun around and gestured franticly toward the windows. She spoke into a slim black headset, "Matthew we need someone over here pronto."

To the crowd in nearly the same breath she called out briskly, "Okay group A start moving toward the center. Group C will follow suit. Group B stay _right where you are_."

In the center of all the chaos S.M.E was setting up and playing a few notes on the circular platform stage.

Jude glanced back and said, "Okay I gotta go. Wish me luck?"

Jamie gave her a quick hug and pulled her closer, "You know you don't need it."

She touched his cheek and kissed him lightly, "You're sweet. You know I'm surprised I haven't been asked about you yet. That goon must be slipping."

"I keep a low profile," Jamie grinned.

"You're on radar. Don't worry," she murmured. "I need another one of those."

He obliged.

As he kissed her gently his fingers slid through the silk texture of her hair.

His lips felt soft as they explored hers. When their lips parted she grinned and said, "Okay _now_ I'm good."

He smiled back without saying a word which made her feel a little nervous as she looked back into his amber brown eyes.

As she walked back into the studio with Jamie by her side the buzz grew louder as her presence was noticed.

The excitement was poignant and filled the air completely.

She had to stop once as her hair was fussed with. "It's fine," she said, "Really. I mean- I checked."

When Jamie laughed at her bold faced lie she elbowed him in the ribs and said, "Don't mind him."

When a statuesque woman with short and edgy ebony and plum hued hair stepped toward her with a makeup kit she pointed toward her face and said, "That's all right. Thanks, but I'm good."

As she walked further into the room the screams grew louder and the escalating volume was due and directed towards her.

She smiled and signed autographs and frowned at the stations security who'd started stepping toward her and the fans.

She wasn't going to let anyone get thrown out or have _them_ treat her like she breakable.

She made her way towards the stage.

There was only a short amount of time left to the commercial break.

She was ready.


End file.
